**Choosing the Right Laptop for Your Needs**

When it comes to selecting a laptop, there are several factors to consider. Whether you're a student, gamer, or just need a reliable device for everyday use, there's a laptop out there that can meet your needs.

If you're looking for a solid choice for school and work, the M1 MacBook Air is an excellent option. It boasts strong performance and up to 18 hours of battery life, making it perfect for long days at the office or in the classroom. The fact that it's an air means it's light and easy to lug around in a backpack. With a price tag of around $1,100, it may seem steep, but its reliability and performance make it well worth the investment.

On the other hand, if you're on a tighter budget, our recommendation for students is the 2023 HP Pavilion Aero 13. It offers strong processing performance and long battery life, as well as a bright and colorful display. At just 2 lbs, it's also incredibly lightweight, making it easy to take with you wherever you go. And with a price tag of around $800, it won't break the bank.

If you're looking for a Windows laptop that isn't necessarily for a student, we'd recommend going a step up with the HP Pavilion Plus 14. It sports great performance and long battery life, as well as a beautiful OLED display. You can even get it with discrete graphics for a little extra power, making it perfect for budding creators. With prices starting at around $1,100, it may seem expensive, but it's regularly on sale for much less.

For those looking for a Chromebook, our top pick is the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus. Google introduced the Chromebook Plus category this year as a way to guarantee a higher level of performance and standard features with a starting price of $399. This Lenovo gets you a beautiful two-in-one design, great full HD display, and solid processing power. It's also a great companion for Android users.

For those who are serious about gaming, our top recommendation is the Alienware M18. It boasts an amazing 18-in screen that's perfect for gaming, as well as incredible performance and plenty of ports and connections. With a price tag of $2,000, it may seem steep, but its high-performance capabilities make it worth every penny.

If you're on a tight budget, our recommendation is the Acer Aspire 5. It comes in 14, 15.6, and 17.3-in options SC at reviewer Josh Goldman prefers the 15.6-in one because it's compact and lightweight while still showcasing everything this laptop has to offer. With a range of configurations to choose from, starting under $500, it offers great performance and features for its price.

For those who want a laptop that doubles as a tablet, our top pick is the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8. This 14-in 2-in-1 convertible packs 13th gen Intel processors and features a stunning OLED display and excellent audio. You can switch into tablet mode at any time to make watching movies or taking video calls more seamless.

If you're looking for a traditional tablet, our top overall pick is the ninth-generation iPad released in 2021. Even though newer iPad models are available, the fact that this one costs around $300 makes it an enticing choice. The screen size is great for everyday use, and it features an auto-zooming front-facing Center Stage camera. Unlike the 10th gen iPad, the first gen Apple pencil doesn't need a dongle to work, which is always a perk.

If you're looking for an Android tablet that doubles as a dockable home hub, our top recommendation is the Google Pixel Tablet. The cool thing about this tablet is it doubles as a dockable home hub so it's kind of a two-for-one. It boasts a fast Google Tensor G2 processor, impressive front camera for video chats, and a crisp display. With a starting price of $500, it makes for an even better option if you're in the Android ecosystem.

Ultimately, choosing the right laptop for your needs will depend on your specific requirements and budget. Whether you're looking for strong performance, long battery life, or just something affordable, there's a laptop out there that can meet your needs.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enif you're looking to buy a laptop or tablet for a very lucky person this year you might feel overwhelmed by the number of options so I'm going to make your life easier and share cnet's top picks for the best laptops and tablets to give for the holidays let's jump into it everyone is going to have different needs when it comes to laptops and tablets but let's start with our best overall pick the Apple MacBook Air with an M2 processor this 2022 version of the Air Sports a new design larger display a faster M2 Chip and A long awaited high resolution webcam it's got great overall performance and battery life but the biggest downside might not come as a surprise the price the M2 MacBook Air starts at $1,100 for the 13in model or $1,300 for the newer 15-in model if you're buying for a student the best option from Apple is the MacBook Air with an M1 chip this entry-level laptop is great for everyday use it has strong performance and up to 18 hours of battery life which makes it a solid choice for school and work and the fact that it's an air means it's light so it's easier to Lug around in a backpack you can get the M1 MacBook Air for around $11,000 if you'd rather go the windows route our recommendation for students is the 2023 HP Pavilion Aro 13 it has strong processing performance and long battery life as well as a bright colorful display it's also lightweight at just 2 lbs and another huge perk is that it won't break the bank it costs around $800 and you can often find it discounted for hundreds less if you want a Windows laptop that isn't necessarily for a student we'd recommend going a step up with the HP Pavilion plus 14 like the MacBook Air It Sports a great size weight and performance and it's available with a beautiful OLED display you can even get it with discrete graphics for a little extra power for budding creators it's got long battery life and comes in 14in and 16in models and it starts at around $11,000 but like The Arrow it's regularly on sale for much less if you're looking for a Chromebook our top pick is the Lenovo Idea pad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus Google introduced the Chromebook plus category this year as a way to guarantee a higher level of performance and standard features with a starting price of$ 399 this Lenovo gets you a beautiful two-in-one design great full HD display and solid processing power it's also a great companion for Android users the downside here is the design and Extras like a backlit keyboard cost you a bit more at $4.99 but if you're looking for something that's A Step Above the Rest you'll have to pay up if you're shopping for a gamer we recommend the Alienware M18 it's got a great 18-in screen that's perfect for gaming amazing performance and lots of ports and connections the M18 costs $2,000 if you want better components it's going to drive up the price it's also worth noting that the fans can get loud if you're pushing it clearly laptops can be pricey so if you're looking for something that's budget friendly you'll want to check out the Acer Aspire 5 this comes in 14 15.6 and 17.3 in options SC at reviewer Josh Goldman prefers the 15.6 in one because it's Compact and lightweight while still showcasing everything this laptop has to offer there's a wide range of configurations to choose from with some starting under $500 and it's got great performance and features for its price including a USBC Thunderbolt 4 Port 2 usba 3.2 gen 1 ports ethernet and and an HDMI port but what if you're looking for something that's a great laptop and doubles as a tablet our Top Choice is the Lenovo Yoga 9i gen 8 this 14in 2in1 convertible packs 13th gen Intel processors and features a stunning OLED display and excellent audio you can switch into tablet mode at any time to make watching movies or taking video calls more seamless and Lenovo includes an active pen and a laptop sleeve as added perks the yoga 9i gen 8 cost $1,200 if you're looking for a traditional tablet our top overall pick is the ninth generation iPad released in 2021 even though they're obviously newer iPad models to choose from the fact that this one costs around $300 makes it an enticing Choice the screen size is great for everyday use there's an auto zooming front-facing Center Stage camera and unlike the 10th gen iPad the first gen apple pencil doesn't need a dongle to work which is always a perk you'll also find a headphone jack on there which we know is getting harder to come by these days and it's still compatible with a range of keyboard cases that said this model is getting a bit older and you'll find Apple relics like a lightning port and a touch ID home button but hey it's just nostalgic right but if you are looking for a more recent model be sure to check out our full iPad lineup to see what fits your specific needs if you'd rather go for an Android tablet then we recommend the Google pixel tablet the cool thing about this tablet is it doubles as a dockable home hub so it's kind of a two for one it's got a fast Google tensor G2 processor impressive front camera for video chats and a crisp display it starts at $500 and if you're in the Android ecosystem this makes for an even better option hopefully that helps narrow things down if you're shopping for a friend or a relative or for yourself go ahead treat yourself we won't tell anyone thanks so much for watching and don't forget to subscribe for more Tech recommendations from CETif you're looking to buy a laptop or tablet for a very lucky person this year you might feel overwhelmed by the number of options so I'm going to make your life easier and share cnet's top picks for the best laptops and tablets to give for the holidays let's jump into it everyone is going to have different needs when it comes to laptops and tablets but let's start with our best overall pick the Apple MacBook Air with an M2 processor this 2022 version of the Air Sports a new design larger display a faster M2 Chip and A long awaited high resolution webcam it's got great overall performance and battery life but the biggest downside might not come as a surprise the price the M2 MacBook Air starts at $1,100 for the 13in model or $1,300 for the newer 15-in model if you're buying for a student the best option from Apple is the MacBook Air with an M1 chip this entry-level laptop is great for everyday use it has strong performance and up to 18 hours of battery life which makes it a solid choice for school and work and the fact that it's an air means it's light so it's easier to Lug around in a backpack you can get the M1 MacBook Air for around $11,000 if you'd rather go the windows route our recommendation for students is the 2023 HP Pavilion Aro 13 it has strong processing performance and long battery life as well as a bright colorful display it's also lightweight at just 2 lbs and another huge perk is that it won't break the bank it costs around $800 and you can often find it discounted for hundreds less if you want a Windows laptop that isn't necessarily for a student we'd recommend going a step up with the HP Pavilion plus 14 like the MacBook Air It Sports a great size weight and performance and it's available with a beautiful OLED display you can even get it with discrete graphics for a little extra power for budding creators it's got long battery life and comes in 14in and 16in models and it starts at around $11,000 but like The Arrow it's regularly on sale for much less if you're looking for a Chromebook our top pick is the Lenovo Idea pad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus Google introduced the Chromebook plus category this year as a way to guarantee a higher level of performance and standard features with a starting price of$ 399 this Lenovo gets you a beautiful two-in-one design great full HD display and solid processing power it's also a great companion for Android users the downside here is the design and Extras like a backlit keyboard cost you a bit more at $4.99 but if you're looking for something that's A Step Above the Rest you'll have to pay up if you're shopping for a gamer we recommend the Alienware M18 it's got a great 18-in screen that's perfect for gaming amazing performance and lots of ports and connections the M18 costs $2,000 if you want better components it's going to drive up the price it's also worth noting that the fans can get loud if you're pushing it clearly laptops can be pricey so if you're looking for something that's budget friendly you'll want to check out the Acer Aspire 5 this comes in 14 15.6 and 17.3 in options SC at reviewer Josh Goldman prefers the 15.6 in one because it's Compact and lightweight while still showcasing everything this laptop has to offer there's a wide range of configurations to choose from with some starting under $500 and it's got great performance and features for its price including a USBC Thunderbolt 4 Port 2 usba 3.2 gen 1 ports ethernet and and an HDMI port but what if you're looking for something that's a great laptop and doubles as a tablet our Top Choice is the Lenovo Yoga 9i gen 8 this 14in 2in1 convertible packs 13th gen Intel processors and features a stunning OLED display and excellent audio you can switch into tablet mode at any time to make watching movies or taking video calls more seamless and Lenovo includes an active pen and a laptop sleeve as added perks the yoga 9i gen 8 cost $1,200 if you're looking for a traditional tablet our top overall pick is the ninth generation iPad released in 2021 even though they're obviously newer iPad models to choose from the fact that this one costs around $300 makes it an enticing Choice the screen size is great for everyday use there's an auto zooming front-facing Center Stage camera and unlike the 10th gen iPad the first gen apple pencil doesn't need a dongle to work which is always a perk you'll also find a headphone jack on there which we know is getting harder to come by these days and it's still compatible with a range of keyboard cases that said this model is getting a bit older and you'll find Apple relics like a lightning port and a touch ID home button but hey it's just nostalgic right but if you are looking for a more recent model be sure to check out our full iPad lineup to see what fits your specific needs if you'd rather go for an Android tablet then we recommend the Google pixel tablet the cool thing about this tablet is it doubles as a dockable home hub so it's kind of a two for one it's got a fast Google tensor G2 processor impressive front camera for video chats and a crisp display it starts at $500 and if you're in the Android ecosystem this makes for an even better option hopefully that helps narrow things down if you're shopping for a friend or a relative or for yourself go ahead treat yourself we won't tell anyone thanks so much for watching and don't forget to subscribe for more Tech recommendations from CET\n"